SS-Rank Table showing equivalents in the other armies of WWII Private Note 1) The term, "Reichsfï¿½hrer-SS" was applied to the head of the combined Waffen and Allgemeine-SS. The various Reichsfï¿½hrer-SS were: Julius Schreck 1925-26, Joseph Berchtold 1926-27, Erhard Heiden 1927-29, Heinrich Himmler 1929-45 and lastly Karl Hanke 1945. There was no direct equivalent to this position in any of the other combatant nations of the Second World War. Note 2) The above table shows what I believe to be the equivalent ranks in the different forces during the years 1939-45. It is not always easy to provide a direct equivalent between nations, or indeed between the SS and the rest of the Wehrmacht. The starting point rank, SS-Schï¿½tze, was the designation for the Infantry and depending on the actual unit, it could be different, for example, Kanonier for the Artillery.

The SS-Ranks with, Junker in the title usually refers to non-commissioned Officers who were acting as Officer Cadets pending a definite promotion. During this time they could command troops in the field. A full and exhaustive Rank table would be quite complicated and involve many footnotes and additional explanation; the above is of necessity somewhat simplified. Note 3) It is sometimes difficult to render words and phrases from one language into another. An example is, Sturmbannfï¿½hrer. In modern German, Sturm means, Storm, or, Assault in the military sense. The word, Bann means a (magic) Spell and Fï¿½hrer, means a Leader or Guide. Clearly Sturmbannfï¿½hrer cannot be rendered as, Storm Spell (magic) Leader, so some further clarification is needed. German in the Middle Ages used the word Bann both on its own and in conjunction with others, to form words to denote authority and power. Examples are words such as, Banner, meaning a Banner or Flag and Heerbann meaning, Army Command (the power of a King to raise and command an Army).

Modern English uses Bann, as in The Banns of Marriage, meaning the command from the minister in the church to the listening congregation to, "raise any cause or just impediment" to the forthcoming match. In Germany during the 1920's, the Sturm Abteilung, or SA (Storm Detachment) came into being as the street muscle of the Nazi Party. The SA formed themselves into, Companie, three to a Sturm and three, Stï¿½rme, into a Sturmbann. Thus a Sturmbannfï¿½hrer was a, Storm Command Leader, using Command in its noun sense, in the same way that a Colonel could refer to his Regiment as being his Command. Using the normal military grading structure equates a Sturmbann to a Battalion and thus a Sturmbannfï¿½hrer to a Major. Note 4) The term, Wehrmacht literally means, Armed Forces and covered all branches of the German Armed Forces such as: Heer, (Army), Kriegsmarine (Navy) and Luftwaffe (Air Force).

The Waffen-SS were a part of the Heer (Army) section of the Wehrmacht. It is important to realise that the Waffen-SS were not a separate branch of the Wehrmacht that operated independently of the rest; they were an integral part of the whole. It is true that some sections of the Allgemeine-SS were only loosely under Heer (Army) control, for example the Ahnenerbe, which dealt with racial research, were neither fighting soldiers nor connected with the intelligence services of the Third Reich. Note 5) Unterfï¿½hrer was not an official rank of the SS, but was used to refer to all non-commissioned officer ranks. This term has been used in some of the Dortmund statements made, by various witnesses, for example that by Hauptsturmfï¿½hrer Kahn . The translations given above are my own and I must bear any criticism for their interpretation.

World War II German Army ranks and insignia | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia World War II German Army ranks and insignia World War II German Army ranks and insignia 204,343pages on Share The German Army of the Nazi era inherited its uniforms and rank structure from the Reichsheer of the Weimar republic (1921–1935), many of whose traditions went back to the Imperial Army of the German Empire and earlier. The Reichsheer was renamed Wehrmacht Heer in May 1935. There were few alterations and adjustments made as the Army grew from a limited peacetime defense force of 100,000 men to a war-fighting force of several million men. These ranks and insignia were peculiar to the Heer and in special cases to senior Wehrmacht officers in the independent services; the SS , Luftwaffe and Navy uniforms and rank system were different. The Nazi Party also had its own series of paramilitary uniforms and insignia .

Contents 1944 Tropical The Reichswehr 's visual acknowledgement of the new National Socialist reality came on 17 February 1934, when the Defense Ministry [1] ordered the Nazi Party eagle-and-swastika, now Germany's National Emblem, to be worn on uniform blouses and headgear effective 1 May. The design adopted, in silver for the Reichsheer (Army) and in gold for the Reichsmarine (Navy), was a stylized eagle with outstretched, beveled wings clutching a wreathed mobile Hakenkreuz, later to be called the Wehrmachtsadler ("Armed Forces eagle"). [2] On tunics this took the form of a cloth patch about 9 cm (3⅝") wide worn on the right breast, above the pocket. For enlisted uniforms it was jacquard-woven ("BeVo") or sometimes machine-embroidered in silver-grey rayon, for officers machine- or hand-embroidered in white silk or bright aluminum wire, and for generals hand-embroidered in gold bullion.

[3] The backing was "badge-cloth" (Abzeichentuch), a close-woven velvetish fabric; this was originally Reichsheer grey, but in late 1935 the renamed Wehrmacht Heer changed its Abzeichentuch color to a dark blue-green called flaschengrün (bottle-green). The war brought several variations to the breast eagle, although it should be kept in mind that none of them was replaced or de-authorized, and all were being worn side-by-side at war's end. When hostilities began in 1939, on the enlisted Feldbluse or field blouse the eagle was changed from silver-white to matte grey for reduced visibility; and in 1940 backings began to be produced in field-grey (feldgrau). Another version appeared with the advent of the Model 1944 Field Blouse , which used a triangular backing for speed and simplicity of manufacture. Very late in the war some Hoheitszeichen were simply printed on thin fabric.

Machine-embroidered Panzer Hoheitszeichen There were also versions for other uniforms: both white and grey variants on black for the Panzer uniform , and in dull grey-blue on tan backing for the tropical ( Afrikakorps ) uniform. A stamped metal pin-on breast eagle was worn with the officers' white summer tunic. Collar patches (Kragenpatten) [4] Doppellitze, circa 1900 WWI officer with Litzen In 19th century German armies, Guard and other elite regiments wore lengths of double braid (Doppellitze) encircling all or most of the collar as a mark of distinction. By the middle of World War I these ornate collars had been reduced to an embroidered representation of short lengths of braid joined at the ends, sewn to patches worn at the front of the collar. When the Reichsheer was established in 1921 as Germany's first national army [5] Litzen were prescribed as the universal collar device for all personnel other than generals, and the Third Reich continued the practice.

Officers' M35 Litzen Dress Field and service On the dress tunic ( Waffenrock ) and the later "ornamented" uniform, the Litzen were embroidered in fine aluminum thread on a patch of Abzeichentuch in the wearer's Waffenfarbe , or branch color; the backing also showed through in the space between the two Litzen, the Mittelstreife. On field and service uniforms, beginning in late 1935, the patch (Patten) was dark bottle-green to match the collar; the Waffenfarbe "showed through" (in fact colored cord was sewn into) the center strip of each braid, the Litzenspiegel. For enlisted men service Litzen were machine-woven in silver-grey rayon; officers' were embroidered more elaborately in white silk or aluminum thread, and were somewhat larger to match their higher collars.

NCOs' M35 Litzen and Tresse Dress Field Non-commissioned officers (Unteroffiziere) wore standard enlisted collar patches but were distinguished by a strip of 9mm silver-grey diamond-woven rayon braid (Tresse) sewn around the collar's front and lower edges, except on the dress Waffenrock where the Tresse was bright aluminum and encircled the collar's upper edge. Enlisted field Litzen 1938 1940 By 1938 the fast-growing Heer had found that it was impractical, for the enlisted field uniform, to manufacture and stock a multitude of collar patches in assorted Waffenfarben which also had to be sewn on and frequently changed by unit tailors. Accordingly, new universal Litzen were introduced with the Litzenspiegel and Mittlestreife woven in dark green to match the backing patch, and which could be applied at the factory; Waffenfarbe was now displayed on the shoulder-straps, which simply buttoned on and were easily switched.

With the wartime change to lower-visibility insignia enlisted Litzen were woven in matte "mouse-grey" with field-grey stripes, which were at first sewn to green collar patches as before but increasingly directly to the collar, which beginning in 1940 was made in feldgrau like the uniform; grey Patten were never produced. The troops however preferred the green patches (and collars) if they had or could get them, especially on "clean" uniforms for walking-out; and long-service veterans took particular pride in pre-38 Litzen with colored stripes. NCO tunic with post-1940 insignia In contrast, officers' service uniform collar patches never changed. While most officers in the front lines wore the enlisted field uniform as per wartime regulations, many opted to have their green-and-silver Kragenpatten added instead of (or on top of) the factory Litzen. Tropical On olive tropical uniforms the collar patches were tan with dull grey-blue Litzen for all personnel; officers again sometimes added their green Kragenpatten. Tropical NCO Tresse was copper-brown, or sometimes olive drab.

Armored vehicle uniforms Edit Panzer Totenkopf pin A major exception to the wearing of collar Litzen was the "panzer wrap", the double-breasted jacket worn by crews of tanks and other armored vehicles. When the Panzertruppe were established in 1935 they were issued a distinctive black uniform and as a badge the Totenkopf or Death's-head, versions of which had formerly been worn by the Imperial tank corps and various cavalry units . These skulls took the form of white-metal pins attached to black Kragenpatten which were edged in Waffenfarbe piping. AFV crew collar insignia In mid-1940 crews of assault guns ( Sturmgeschützen ) received a uniform of their own, identical in cut to the Panzerjacke but in standard field-grey, which they wore with red artillery piping. Over the course of the war a bewildering and changing series of regulations governed the uniforms and insignia for assault guns, tank destroyers, armored cars and self-propelled guns (SPG).

Depending on the unit and the date either the black or grey wrap or the standard Feldbluse might be authorized, and on the grey "assault gun" jacket the regulation collar patches could be black with skulls, or grey with skulls, Litzen, or no device at all. The result in practice was chaos; wartime photos show a mix of uniforms and insignia worn not only in the same battalion, but even in the same vehicle. Officially both colors of panzer wrap were working and field uniforms to be worn only in or around the vehicle; this regulation was universally ignored. Panzertruppen were issued standard uniforms for service-dress and walking out but rarely wore them, much preferring their unique jackets. In North Africa, AFV crews wore the same tropical uniform as the other branches, including collar Litzen; many tankers however pinned their Totenkopf badges to their lapels. Infanterie Regiment "Großdeutschland" Edit Collar Litzen for NCO of I.R.

"Großdeutschland" In June 1939, the Wehrmacht Heer wanted to renew its ties with the Old Army tradition by introducing a new uniform for its most prestigious unit: Wachregiment "Berlin" which was renamed Infantry Regiment "Großdeutschland". The new Waffenrock for I.R. "Großdeutschland" had an elongated Litzen. Although shown to the press, this new uniform was not provided to the unit due to the outbreak of WWII. Instead, it was placed in depot storage. General Staff Corps Officers OKW / OKH , Dress Generalstaboffiziere were officers carefully selected and trained to represent the German General Staff Corps in both command and staff functions. They ranked from Hauptmann im Generalstab (captain) through Oberst i.G. (colonel). All were before 1939 graduates of the Military Academy, the Kriegsakademie . On division staffs they held the position of Ia (operational chief of staff) or Ib (chief of the rear echelon). In the higher echelons, the intelligence and training staff sections were most of the time in the personal charge of General Staff Corps officers.

The General Staff Officers had their own distinctive Litzen called alt-Preußische (old Prussian), or Kolbenstickerei ("lobe-embroidery"). These were the same whether on carmine dress Kragenpatten or green service patches; colored Litzenspiegel were unnecessary. General Staff officers assigned to the supreme headquarters (the Reichskriegsministerium, later the OKH and the OKW ), the Kriegsakademie, and military attaches were further distinguished by having their Litzen in gold rather than silver. These Generalstaboffiziere were called "des Generalstabs", Oberst d.G., etc. The special golden Litzen were abolished in November 1942. Only Military attaches kept their Litzen as long as they were in their present position. The Führer wanted a closer union between the front and the OKW and OKH. In addition to their collar patches, General Staff Officers wore trouser-stripes, of the same design as generals' but in carmine rather than scarlet.

Generals Walter von Reichenau as a General von Reichenau as a Field Marshal From 1900 Prussian generals had worn ornate collar patches embroidered in a style called alt-Larisch, which had first been worn in the 18th century by the 26th (älterer von Larisch) Infantry Regiment; the Reichsheer and the Wehrmacht continued the tradition. These devices, sometimes called Arabesken (arabesques), were embroidered in gold bullion or golden synthetic Celleon on Hochrot (scarlet) backing. Field Marshals wore the same Arabesken as generals until April 1941, when they were authorized a longer variant with three rather than two iterations of the repeating pattern, for a total of six "prongs." In some cases GFM did not bother to replace their generals' tabs, or did so only on their dress uniforms.

General officers of the Special Troop Service (Truppensonderdienst — TDS) and of the specialist careers (medical, veterinary, ordnance, and motor park) wore the same insignia until April 1944, when they were ordered to exchange their scarlet Kragenpatten for alt-Larisch tabs backed in their respective Waffenfarbe: medical – cornflower blue Waffenfarbe; TDS administrative – bright blue Waffenfarbe; TDS judiciary – wine red Waffenfarbe. In October 1944, the wear-out period of the scarlet backing color for Generals of the specialist careers was extended for an undetermined period. Chef File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1987-047-20, Gerd v. Rundstedt.jpg Shoulderboards and Litzen of von Rundstedt In the Wehrmacht Heer, upon retirement, certain senior German generals were awarded the honorary post of Chef of a regiment, much like the Honorary Colonel in the British Army. It was a German custom dating from the late 18th Century.

These generals were authorized to wear the tunic and insignia of an officer of the regiment, including ordinary officers’ Litzen. Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt , Chef of the 18th Infanterie Regiment, wore a big 18 on his shoulderboards, and for everyday wear favored the ornamented tunic of an infantry officer with white piping rather than a general's uniform. Hitler appointed first Generaloberst Hans von Seeckt , ancient "Chef der Heeresleitung", to be Chef of the 67th Infanterie Regiment on his 70th birthday in April 1936, a few months before he died.

Only seven German generals were appointed Chefs: in addition to Seeckt and Rundstedt they were General der Infanterie Ritter von Epp Chef of the 61st Infanterie Regiment in Munich ; Generalfeldmarschall von Mackensen Chef of the 5th Kavallerie Regiment in Stolp , Generaloberst von Fritsch Chef of the 12th Artillerie Regiment in Schwerin, and Generalfeldmarschall von Böhm-Ermolli Chef of the 28th Infanterie Regiment in Troppau . Generalfeldmarschall von Blomberg was appointed Chef of I.R. 73 and wore a big 73 superimposed over the crossed batons of his shoulder board, but on 4 February 1938 he was dismissed and his name was deleted from the seniority list. Shoulder-straps (Schulterklappen) and shoulderboards (Schulterstücke) Panzer Tropical The Reichsheer's shoulder-straps were very similar to those of World War I, made of feldgrau uniform cloth with pointed or "gable" button ends.

In December 1934 the material was changed to grey badge-cloth (Abzeichentuch) and in September 1935 changed again to dark bottle-green (flaschengrün). These "first pattern" shoulder-straps were not edged in Waffenfarbe piping. In 1938, simultaneous with the removal of Waffenfarbe from field-uniform collar patches, new shoulder-straps were issued. These "second pattern" straps had round rather than pointed ends, and were edged on three sides with wool (later rayon) piping in Waffenfarbe. This pattern would be used through the end of the war, although in 1940 manufacture reverted to field-grey uniform cloth, and as usual alternate versions were made to go with the Panzer uniform (black), tropical uniform (olive cotton) and HBT summer uniform (reed-green twill). Schulterklappen were not worn with the fatigue uniform, nor with camouflage smocks and parkas which used an alternate system of rank insignia . For junior enlisted men (Mannschaften), rank insignia if any was worn on the left sleeve.

However the epaulettes did indicate the wearer's unit (usually regiment or independent battalion) together with his sub-branch if any, machine-embroidered in branch-color. For example, a Schulterklappe with rose-pink piping and number "4" would indicate the 4th Panzer Regiment; but if it carried a pink number "4" and letter "A" it would indicate the 4th Armored Reconnaissance (Aufklärungs) Battalion. The German Army used a very large assortment of Latin initials, Gothic initials, script ciphers, Arabic numerals, Roman numerals and symbols to designate all its various service branches and installations. Before the war, shoulder-buttons were embossed with the number of the wearer's company as well, this practice was discontinued "for the duration." Cavalry Oberwachtmeister, tropical Beginning in January 1940, shoulder-straps with unit insignia were (supposed to be) phased out as a security measure, and removable fabric loops with devices were issued instead. In May 1944 the embroidery was changed from waffenfarbe to light gray.

Non-commissioned officers wore their rank insignia on their shoulder-straps, consisting of braid and pips (pyramidal "stars"). An Unteroffizier's (corporal's) epaulette was edged with Tresse on three sides and an Unterfeldwebel's (sergeant's) on all four. Senior NCO's (Unteroffiziere mit Portepee) added one to three pips; in addition, their unit identifiers took the form of white-metal pins rather than embroidery. Shoulder-straps were made in both a standard width (4.5 cm, 1¾") and a wider one for three-digit unit numbers (5.3cm, 2"), and in three lengths depending on the size of the man. There was in addition an extra-large size for the overcoat (Mantel). Officers Edit Officers' shoulderboards were constructed from "Russia" braid, an aluminum-thread double piping.

Company-grade officers (Leutnant through Hauptmann/Rittmeister) wore epaulettes constructed by wrapping two side-by-side lengths of braid around the buttonhole and back, giving the appearance of eight parallel cords; the whole was sewn to an underlay (Unterlagen) of Waffenfarbe badge-cloth. Until 1938 the underlay was of the same outer dimensions as the braid, and only visible edge-on; in that year the underlay was made wider, so as to create the impression of edge piping like the enlisted shoulder-strap. Rank was indicated by zero to two gilt-metal pips; unit designators were also of gilt metal. Field-grade officer (Stabsoffizier) shoulderboards were made by plaiting together double widths of Russia braid and looping them to form a buttonhole, sewn to a Waffenfarbe underlay; rank again was displayed by zero to two gilt pips. Once the war began, dull grey aluminum braid appeared, but bright aluminum continued in use.

Generals Edit Generals' shoulderboards were constructed similarly to those of field-grade officers, but comprised a length of silver Russia braid between two braided cords of gold bullion or Celleon. Since the resulting combination was wider, generals' boards were plaited in four 'loops' rather than five. Their buttons were gilt, and rank was indicated by zero to three silver pips, or crossed batons in the case of field marshals. The underlay was scarlet, except (from 1944) for generals of staff corps, who were instructed to wear Waffenfarbe instead. In April 1941, Generalfeldmarschall epaulettes were changed to incorporate a central gold cord instead of silver. Colonels-in-chief wearing that uniform wore gold generals' shoulderboards underlaid with the Waffenfarbe of the regiment rather than scarlet; GFM von Rundstedt sometimes simply pinned his crossed batons to an infantry colonel's epaulettes. Retired Personnel Edit Generalmajor a.D.

By order of Marshal Hindenburg in March 1932, soldiers who retired after 15 years of service received the right to wear the uniform of the unit they left. The shoulderboards and shoulder straps of retired soldiers had a bridle 1.5 cm wide attached under the middle. Headgear Edit Caps and helmets bore two common insignia elements, in various forms: the National Emblem (eagle and swastika) and the national colors. World War I caps had carried dual cockades or roundels, one in Imperial black-white-red and one in the colors of the particular State within the Empire. The Reichsheer changed this to a single cockade in the Weimar Republic's black, red and gold; almost as soon as Hitler took power he restored the pre-1919 tricolor flag , and ordered the Army to return to black-white-red.

Peaked cap (Schirmmütze) Edit Enlisted Koppelschloß Belt buckles for enlisted men were of box type, made of aluminum or stamped steel with a pebbled surface, and bearing a circular device with a version of the Hoheitszeichen called the Army eagle or Heeresadler (an eagle with downswept wings clutching an unwreathed swastika) surmounted by the motto Gott mit uns , or "God with us." For field wear these were usually painted field-grey to reduce visibility; on the other hand dress buckles were silver-washed. Officers' field and service buckles were of a two-pronged frame type. With dress uniform officers wore a belt of silver braid with a circular silver-washed or -plated aluminum buckle, in the form of an oakleaf wreath surrounding a Heeresadler. Generals' were the same but gilt or gold-plated. With the tropical uniform and its belt of cotton webbing, officers wore a buckle identical to the dress buckle but painted olive-drab. Ranks and rank insignia Sergeant Major Restricted to career volunteers; automatic after 12 years' service.

Hauptfeldwebel/Hauptwachtmeister: Hauptfeldwebel was not a rank but an appointment: the administrative and mustering NCO of a company and the commander's logistical assistant. He was therefore roughly analogous to a Company Sergeant-Major or First Sergeant, although his duties did not usually involve combat leadership. Der Spieß [13] or die Kompanie-Mutter, as he was called, was not necessarily the ranking Unteroffizier in the company, especially since typically two of the platoons were commanded by senior NCO's rather than officers. A Hauptfeldwebel however had to be of Portepee grade; a junior NCO filling the role was a Hauptfeldwebeldiensttuer, "one doing Hauptfeldwebel duties." The insignia for a Hauptfeldwebel was a pair of NCO Tressen encircling each lower sleeve, nicknamed "piston rings;" he also carried a leather Meldetasche or report-case tucked into his tunic front.

Senior non-commissioned specialist officers Edit In two specialist career paths it was possible to attain rank above Stabsfeldwebel: fortifications engineers (Festungspioniere) and farriers (Hufbeschlagschmieder). [14] They were actual NCO's with command authority, not Heeresbeamten (uniformed Army civil servants). There was no direct Anglosphere equivalent; perhaps the closest examples of the time would be the British Royal Navy's and United States Navy's ranks of Warrant Officer. Rank Edit In addition to their alt-Larisch collar tabs and braided gold epaulettes, general officers' uniforms were distinguished by gold rather than silver cap badges, cap cords, breast eagles, belt buckles and buttons, a pair of 40mm Hochrot (scarlet) stripes down the outside of each trouser-leg, overcoat lapels faced in scarlet, and dress uniforms piped in Hochrot rather than Waffenfarbe .

From May 1944 generals in the various staff corps (medical, legal, TSD etc.) were supposed to replace Hochrot with the appropriate Waffenfarben of their branches of service; in practice this directive was imperfectly heeded and a subsequent order extended the wear-out date for scarlet insignia indefinitely. Rank Edit HV (Heeresverwaltung, Army Administration) yellow metal emblem Officials in administrative, legal, and technical service positions are a category peculiar to the German Armed Forces. They consist of civil service personnel performing functions within the Armed Forces and are recruited, in part, from former professional non-commissioned officers who became military candidates for civil service (Militärarwärter) at the end of their 12-year contractual period of active military service. Up to 1944, none of these officials were classified as soldiers; in that year certain groups were converted into officers in the Special Troop Service (Truppensonderdienst or TSD).

These were the higher administrative officers (Intendanten) in ranks from captain to lieutenant general; the lower administrative officers (Zahlmeister) in the ranks of first and second lieutenant, and the judge advocates (Richter) in ranks from captain to lieutenant general. At this time all personnel of the Field Post Office were made soldiers as well, but formed a corps of their own rather than belonging to the TSD. It was also made possible for qualified reserve technical service officials to become reserve officers of the motor maintenance troops. The Officials had titles, not ranks: Intendant, Direktor, Rat, Vorsteher, Inspektor, Meister, Assistent. This is a complex subject as each branch had its own titles. Wehrmachtbeamten des Heeres An Army Official Assistent. Note that his shoulderboards indicate NCO-equivalent rank, but he wears collar patches with officer-style Litzen denoting membership in a Middle or Elevated Service.

Shoulderboards Edit With certain exceptions, Beamten wore shoulderboards similar to those of soldiers of equivalent rank, but distinguished by the addition of dark green elements: those equivalent to generals had a central cord in their braided shoulderboards which incorporated green chevrons, and those equivalent to officers wore a narrow green stripe between the rows of braid. NCO-equivalent Beamten wore a complex braided shoulderboard made of green, black and silver cords. In nearly all cases the shoulderboard underlay was dark green, and metal pins with the HV (Heeresverwaltung, Army Administration) cipher were worn. Certain services had insignia of their own: for example the Feldpost (Field Post Office) wore shoulderboards with gold rather than green elements and the initials FP; and musical officials wore silver-and-red shoulderboards with a lyre insignia. Beamten in the employ of a military government in the occupied territories wore eagle-and-swastika pins rather than HV ciphers.

Most officials wore in addition to their dark green Waffenfarbe a secondary colour (Nebenfarbe) denoting their branch: Bright Red (Hochrot): Officials of the administration of the Military Area (Wehrkreis) Carmine (Karmesinrot): Officials of all branches on duty with the OKW and OKH; and also Librarians, Archivists, Museum officials, etc. Light Blue (Hellblau): Judicial Officials Light Green (Hellgrün): Pharmacists White (Weiß): Officials of the "Standard Branch" (Paymasters) Black (Schwarz): Officials of the Technical Services (Fortress Engineer, Geological Service, Ballistics, etc.) Golden Yellow (Gelb): Officials of the Remount Service Orange Red (Orange): Officials of the Recruiting Service Light Brown (Hellbraun): Non-technical Teacher Officials In March 1940 distinct Nebenfarben were abolished and replaced with light grey.

Stabsapotheker (7) Heeresjustizinspektor (8) Waffenmeister (9) Heereswerkmeister (10) Magazinmeister (11) Collar patches Edit Heeresbeamten wore distinctive collar patches; these tabs indicated not the official's rank or title, but rather the "grade" of the service in which the official was employed. These were classified by the minimum educational requirement, and ranged from Einfacher Dienst (Basic Services), for which a grade-school education was sufficient, through Mitteler (Middle) and Gehobener (Elevated) Dienst, to Höherer Dienst (Higher Services) which required a university degree. Officials in the Basic Services wore collar patches similar to (but larger than) enlisted soldiers', grey Litzen on dark green Patten, but the patch was piped on three sides in Nebenfarbe; similarly officials in the Middle and Elevated services wore officer-pattern Litzen, again with Nebenfarbe-piped patches.

Officials of the Higher Services wore unique Kragenpatten with alt-Preussische Litzen in gold like Offiziere des Generalstabs, but on dark green with, again, Nebenfarbe piping. General officer-equivalents wore green patches with generals' arabesques, similarly bordered. Beamter auf Kriegsdauer Edit In addition to the career Beamten, wartime needs led to the creation of "Officials for the duration of the war," or Beamter auf Kriegsdauer. These men had needed skills but either did not possess all the qualifications to become full-fledged Beamten, or were effectively drafted from civilian jobs. The matter was further confused by the fact that Beamter a. K. did the same jobs and held the same titles as career officials. Nonetheless, Beamter a. K. wore entirely distinct collar patches. Military Supreme Court Officials (Wehrmachtbeamte beim Reichskriegsgericht) Edit Certain positions in ranks from major to lieutenant and in all non-commissioned officer ranks (except sergeant) could be filled by specialists in foreign languages, propaganda work, medical service, veterinary service and the like who had been trained to fill such positions as "Specialist leaders" (Sonderführer).

They received the pay applicable to the position they were holding, but only by virtue of their temporary appointment and without the command or disciplinary powers vested in the rank. Sonderführer wore the standard military uniform but with unique rank and collar insignia, the latter resembling but distinct from that worn by Beamter auf Kriegsdauer; in addition their collars and cap bands were blue-grey rather than Army green. In France. In the center an interpreter (Dolmetscher), Sonderführer (Z). The Radio service of the OKW in 1939. On the far right a Sonderfürer. Rommel and Bayerlein interviewed by a Sonderfürer. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Duden ; Meaning of Junker, in German.

[1] ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 These ranks were, in effect, dead end paygrades for passed-over soldiers ↑ There is confusion in the published sources; see discussion ↑ 11.0 11.1 Portepee "sword-knot": senior NCO's wore swords with dress uniform ↑ Closer to a British than an American corporal in status and responsibilities; Unteroffizier was the normal rank for a squad (section) leader ↑ "The spear." This may refer to the sergeant of a flintlock-era company having carried a polearm rather than a musket, or it may relate to Latin pilus prior "leading spear," the senior centurion in a cohort. ↑ Farriers, blacksmiths specializing in the shoeing and care of horses, were a very important component of the WWII German army, 70–80% of which depended on horse-drawn transport. A standard infantry division had nearly 5,000 horses, one for every three soldiers.

↑ Combining the Waffenfarben of the ordnance and engineer branches ↑ Combining the Waffenfarben of the cavalry and veterinary branches; farriers were responsible for basic equine healthcare and assisting veterinary officers ↑ All tropical uniforms were issued with generic collar patches; however, officers frequently added the green-backed Litzen and sometimes the entire green collar from the feldgrau uniform ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Chaplains wore no epaulettes, a cross on the front of the cap, and a cross (Protestant) or crucifix (Catholic) around the neck. In the field chaplains wore a Red Cross armband with purple borders. ↑ A Feldbischof did not wear generals' collar Arabeske, but rather litzen in gold on a violet backing; his overcoat lapel facings were also violet rather than red. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 In October 1942 all infantry Schützen were redesignated Grenadiere.

In July 1943 all Panzerschützen and motorized Grenadiere were redesignated Panzergrenadiere. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Traditional ranks in certain regiments ↑ Confusingly, Oberjäger was the light-infantry equivalent of Unteroffizier ↑ In artillery regiments of Panzer divisions from 12/41 Bibliography Trenches on the Web - Special: The Organization of the German Army, August 1914 Help The Organization of the German Army, August 1914 This is a contributed item. Please direct your feedback concerning the contents of this item to the author using the e-mail link below. By all means let them know if you find it interesting. They enjoy hearing from you! Crown Prince Wilhelm reviewing troops in the Argonne, Jul-1915. Contributed by The Organization of the German Army, August 1914 See also: ø The Great War Association (reenactor info) Introduction The German Army of 1914 went to war armed with the reputation of more than 60 years of victorious campaigns from the 19th and early 20th Century.

Some regiments could trace a continuous line of existence back to the 17th Century, like the Royal Saxon Field Artillery Regt. Nr. 12, founded in 1620; most regiments were founded during the 18th and 19th Century. All European countries, except Britain, required compulsory military service for it's young men, a tradition created by Napoleon Bonaparte. In Germany, all able bodied men between the ages of 17 and 45, were liable for military service. Some men working in professions considered more important than military service were exempt. During the War, some agricultural workers, heavy industrial workers, and munitions workers were also exempt. The German Army had four classifications of military service; Active, Reserve, Landwehr and Landsturm. At the age of 17, a man might be called up to serve in the Landsturm 1st Ban, a sort of National Guard for home defense. The British Army equivalent was the Territorial force. In peace, it was mandatory to serve in the Army upon a man's 20th birthday.

A 2 year period of Active service then began, or 3 years in the cavalry and field artillery. After that time, a man would be liable to serve the next 4 to 5 years in the Reserve, usually a 2 week training period each year. Serving in the Reserve during peace time, was generally regarded as a vacation from home and work. After the Reserve period, a man was then liable to serve in the Landwehr for the next 11 years. The last stage was being liable for service for 7 years in the Landsturm 2nd Ban. After the age of 45, a man was then free from further military service. It was only in times of war that the Landwehr and Landsturm were expected to be called for duty. After 1900, another measure was created, the Ersatz (Supplement or Reinforcement) Reserve. The Ersatz Reserve was made up of men fit for active duty, but excused for family or economic reasons, and for minor physical defects. These men were liable for Reserve service for 12 years, where they might be called up for 3 annual training sessions.

In practice only a small number of these men underwent any training before 1914. Men unfit for war service were still liable for service in the Landsturm from the age of 17-45. August 1914 In August of 1914 the complex German military system was put under the stress of fighting opponents equally armed and as well supplied as themselves. All the careful planning and organization of the twenty years prior to World War 1, was found to be totally inadequate to the reality of warfare with early 20th Century weapons and technology. The Boar War of 1899, in South Africa and the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, should have been an indication of things to come. The lessons of these two conflicts were either ignored or quickly forgotten. Most military planners used their respective colonial experience for lessons in training and tactics. In these colonial wars, highly trained European soldiers armed with modern rifles, machine guns, and artillery were used to putt down poorly armed native rebellions. The result of their inadequate planning was the stalemate of trench warfare.

All the European armies were organized in a similar manner, and armed with very similar weapon systems, see the diagram below for a typical German Army Corps of 1914. Click on diagram to enlarge The main military unit of the German army was the infantry regiment, some still carried the traditional names of Fusilier, Musketeer, and Grenadier. Regiments were traditionally raised and maintained at the local level. Some large cities and towns could muster an entire regiment, while some rural areas would be responsible for raising a company or battalion for the regiment associated with the region. This system was integrated into the social structure of the country. It was a very complex but highly organized system. After a man served in an Active regiment, he would then serve in a Reserve regiment that was made up mostly with past members of his previous regiment. Landwehr and Landsturm units were organized on a similar basis. During times of peace, the military service time was very much like social club. One could serve the entire 22 years required by the army along side one's family, friends and neighbors. This system formed very strong bonds of loyalty within the regiment, and this system worked very well in times of peace.

During the war, a small town might find that all of it's young men could be killed or wounded in a single day if the tide of battle turned against them. The various types of regiments were organized into divisions, corps, and army groups. The military machine was based on marching armies and horse drawn artillery, with horse drawn supply trains. By 1914, the German Army was organized into established Army Corps, most of which were commanded by the Prussian Army. Bavaria still had it's own nominally independent army, consisting of the I, II and III Bavarian Army Corps. Bavaria also maintained a separate supply train and air force throughout the war. Saxony was able to field two Corps, the XII and XIX, as the Saxon Army, and W�rtemburg maintained the XIII Army Corps. Baden, a Grand Duchy, was able to maintain the XIV Army Corps. The Prussian Army also maintained the Guard Corps, made up entirely of Guard infantry, artillery, cavalry, pioneer, j�ger, machine gun, train, telegraph, and balloon regiments.

The development of the railroad networks in Western Europe, allowed armies to be deployed, reinforced and supplied with unprecedented speed, allowing neither side to gain a permanent advantage. Once on the battlefield, the armies could maneuver no faster than those of the Roman Empire, however, the weapons available lead to unprecedented casualties. After 1908, each infantry regiment was equipped with 3 machine gun companies, armed with six heavy Maxim M1908 machine guns per company. Artillery regiments were commanded at the divisional and corps level, creating poor communication between the artillery regiment and the infantry regiment which it was meant to support. The diagram below illustrates the make up of a typical German Infantry Regiment of 1914. Click on diagram to enlarge The Chain of Command The German army was famous for its complicated chain of command. At no time were soldiers ever free from supervision by a superior officer; even at the latrine a Gefreiter was required to supervise the activities of his squad. At the top of the chain was the Kaiser, who was theoretically second only to God. Generals quickly lost control of the battle once troops went over the top. The field telephone service between the front lines and the rear command was severed immediately once the artillery barrage began.

Since the artillery was commanded at divisional and corps level, regimental commanders had a very difficult and time consuming process to communicate with artillery units, or to report their success or failure in reaching objectives. The time lag in sending and receiving orders generally allowed the defender to organize a counter attack, and stop the advance. The following chart illustrates the chain of command for the German Army of 1914: Grades of Combat Officers Gruppe n/a = not applicable Due to heavy wartime casualties of junior officers, the pre-War rank of Feldwebel-Leutnant and a newly created rank, Offizier-Stellvertreter, were used as platoon and company commanders. Both the Feldwebel-Leutnant and Offizier-Stellvertreter were senior NCO's, and acted in the field as officers, but without the privileges associated with a commission. Closing Notes The German Army went through many changes during the First World War. In 1914, the army was equipped with 20th Century weapons, but was trained to fight a 19th Century war. They were not alone, and the result was four years of trench warfare in Belgium and Northern France.

Established military machines, like those of the Western European Armies, are slow to change, and only do so under extreme pressure. The failure to break the deadlock with massive frontal assaults, the eventual lack of manpower to replace the enormously high casualties, and poor communications with divisional commanders and artillery support during battles, lead to innovative changes in the organization of the infantry regiment. See Reorganization of the German Army, 1914-1918 - for how these changes were put in use. For Further Reading German Army Handbook, April 1918, introduction by David Nash, published by Arms and Armour Press, London, 1977 Stormtroop Tactics, Innovation in the German Army, 1914-1918, by Bruce I. Gudmundsson, published by Praeger Publishers, 1989 Break-Through, by Hubert C. Johnson, published by Presidio Press, 1994 All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, published by Little, Brown, and Company, 1929 Steel Wind, Colonel Georg Bruchm�ller and the Birth of Modern Artillery, by David T.

Zabecki, published by Praeger, 1994 © 1997 Ralph Reiley - All rights reserved Oberst | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia For other uses, see Oberst (disambiguation) . Epaulette Oberst (German Army), dress uniform Field uniform Heer (Technical support troops) Field uniform Luftwaffe Oberst ( German pronunciation: [ˈoːbɐst] ) is a military rank in several German -speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel . It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti and the Icelandic rank ofursti. In the Netherlands the rank overste is used as a synonym for a lieutenant colonel . History Edit Oberst is a German word. Spelled with a capital O, "Oberst" is a noun and defines the military rank of colonel or group captain . Spelled with a lower case o, or "oberst", it is an adjective, meaning "top, topmost, uppermost, highest, chief, head, first, principal, or supreme".

Both usages derive from the superlative of ober(e), "the upper" or "the uppermost". As a family name, Oberst is common in the southwest of Germany, in the area known as the Black Forest ( Schwarzwald ). The name is also concentrated in the north-central cantons of Switzerland ( Aargau & Zürich ). Here the Swiss version of Oberst is spelled Obrist. The name first appeared in the thirteenth century in the German-Swiss border area, and early forms were Zoberist and Oberist. The name most likely refers to the "tribe that lives the highest on the mountain" or "the family that lives the highest in the village". Translated as "superior" or "supreme", the rank of Oberst can trace its origins to the Middle Ages where the term most likely described the senior knight on a battlefield or the senior captain in a regiment. With the emergence of professional armies in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, an Oberst became the commander of regiment or battalion -sized formations. By the eighteenth century, Obersten were typically afforded aides or lieutenants , often titled Oberstleutnant .

This led to formation of the modern German rank of the same name, translated as lieutenant colonel . The rank of Oberst is equivalent to that of colonel in English-speaking armies, although its more accurate meaning of "supreme" refers to the fact that Oberst is the highest-ranking officer below general officers . Oberst was used in the militaries of Germany and Austria during both World Wars . Oberst was also used as the prefix of the now obsolete SS rank of Oberstgruppenführer . The SS Standartenführer was equivalent to an Oberst. A colonel general during the World Wars was called Generaloberst. Again, rather than literally meaning colonel general, its more accurate translation is "supreme general" as it was normally the highest peacetime military rank. Ranks - British Army Website Ranks Ranks The rank system forms the backbone of the Army's structure and it defines a soldier or officer's role and degree of responsibility. Soldiers and Officers have different rank systems. Broadly speaking, officers have more leadership duties. However many Officers start off as soldiers, before gaining their commission. Officer Ranks This is the rank held during initial officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Second Lieutenant The first rank held on commissioning. It is normally held for up to 2 years, during which time they complete special to arms training relevant to their Corps. Afterwards they are responsible for leading up to 30 soldiers in a platoon or troop, both in training and on operations. Lieutenant Lieutenant is a rank typically held for up to 3 years. They normally command of a platoon or troop of around 30 soldiers, but with experience comes increased responsibilities. They also have the opportunity to gain specialised skills outside their unit. Captain Captains are normally made second-in-command of a sub-unit of up to 120 soldiers. They are key players in the planning and decision-making process, with tactical responsibility for operations on the ground as well as equipment maintenance, logistic support and manpower. Major Promotion to Major follows between 8-10 years service. Typically a Major will be given command of a sub-unit of up to 120 officers and soldiers with responsibility for their training, welfare and administration both in camp and on operations, as well as the management of their equipment. Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonels typically command units of up to 650 soldiers, containing four or five sub-units.

They are responsible for the overall operational effectiveness of their unit in terms of military capability, welfare and general discipline. Typically a two-year appointment. Colonel Colonels are not usually field commanders (except in the Royal Army Medical Corps) - typically they serve as staff officers between field commands at battalion/brigade level. It is the lowest of the staff ranks and they are the principal operational advisors to senior officers. Brigadier (aka 1 star) Brigadier is not considered to be a General Officer rank by the British Army but rather a Field officer rank. Brigadiers can command a brigade or be a director of operational capability groups such as a director of staff. Major General (aka 2 star) Major Generals command formations of division size and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and hold senior staff appointments in the Ministry of Defence and other headquarters. Lieutenant General (aka 3 star) Lieutenant Generals command formations of Corps size and other commands in the UK and overseas, and hold very senior staff appointments in the Ministry of Defence and other headquarters.

General (aka 4 star) Generals hold the most senior appointments - such as the Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of the General Staff , Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and Commander in Chief Land Forces. Warrant Officer Class 2 (Company/Squadron Sergeant Major) This is a senior management role focussing on the training, welfare and discipline of a company, squadron or battery of up to 120 soldiers. WO2s act as senior adviser to the Major in command of the sub-unit and may also be selected for a commission as an Officer. Warrant Officer Class 1 (Regimental Sergeant Major) The most senior soldier rank in the British Army, typically reached after 18 years of outstanding service. WO1s are the senior advisors of their unit's Commanding Officer, with leadership, discipline and welfare responsibilities of up to 650 officers and soldiers and equipment. lieutenant | military rank | Britannica.com military rank Lieutenant, company grade officer, the lowest rank of commissioned officer in most armies of the world. The lieutenant normally commands a small tactical unit such as a platoon . Rank insignias of U.S. military officers. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

In the British Army and in the United States Army , Air Force , and Marine Corps , a second lieutenant is the lowest ranking commissioned officer. Above him in those U.S. services comes a first lieutenant—lieutenant in the British Army—and then a captain . In the Russian Army there is still another rank, senior lieutenant. The term lieutenant has a somewhat different meaning in the U.S. and British navies , in which the lowest-ranking commissioned officer is an ensign (U.S.) or sublieutenant (British). The next higher rank is lieutenant junior grade (U.S. and British), followed by lieutenant and lieutenant commander. A U.S. Navy lieutenant is thus equal in rank to a U.S. Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps captain; a U.S. Navy ensign is equal in rank to a second lieutenant in the other services. In the Royal Air Force a flight lieutenant ranks below a squadron leader and above a flying officer. The word also appears in combination with other military and civilian titles to denote a second-in-command or one of lower rank. A lieutenant colonel, for example, ranks below a colonel and above a major. A lieutenant general ranks below a general and above a major general. In the U.S.

and British navies a lieutenant commander, as noted above, ranks between a lieutenant and a commander. Learn More in these related articles:

Question: What is the British Army equivalent to the German military rank of Oberst?
Answer: COLONEL